Psychomachia, The Battle of Souls
by Monisse
Summary: She closed her eyes, letting herself drown in the pleasure, because never before, has a sin tasted this good... - Booth and Brennan fall into temptation together and experience the 7 sins. Lust is now up.
1. Gluttony

This is my newest collection of sins... I mean of stories! Each of them are inspired by the Capital Sins and the way our partners live them.  
Let's fall into temptation, shall we? I hope you like them.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them, not even the pie. I am sorry if the content of these stories offend someone in a religion/food sense, that is not my intention at all. These points of view are only for fun.

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**_Gula & Temperantia_**

It was a late afternoon, when the last rays of golden sun busted into flames, creating a peaceful shade of orange and blue between the faded clouds in the sky.

The partners walked side by side in the street, heading to the place they held dear at the end of an exhausting day.

Once more he came into the solitude of her office, rescuing her, as he would say, from the piles and piles of horrifying paperwork that still could be filled in the weekend. Right now there were other matters in their hands, for example feeding a very lazy anthropologist.

It was funny how he would care about her eating habits, not that she needed of course, she was perfectly capable of eating by herself.

So, he dragged her to her feet and rather forcefully put the coat around her shoulders and taking her by the arm they strolled swiftly by the long corridors of the facility and into the warm breeze of the last autumn days.

The man was being driven by his stomach alone.

They finally arrived to the small diner and entered with the slight ring of the door bell.

Both took their usual seats, one in front of the other by the large window. All that they wanted to do now was relax, after the furious ride that had been the last case, glad it was now over.

"_This one was really hard, but in the end, we found the resolution in the bones. Bones,_ " - She sighed, innocently enough - "…_always right_." She said lightly with a grin in her features.

That pun was totally intended and he found himself, despite the growing ache in his stomach, laughing at her joke. It was always a blessing to see her laughing like that, satisfied for another accomplished mission.

After ordering the usual, both engaged in casual conversation until the food arrived.

Awhile later, full plates of attractive food had been placed in front of them. A fresh salad to her and a full plate of fries, hamburger and a slice of blackberry pie for him. All of it looked delicious.

He looked at his plate as if he had never seen food in his life before, and a huge childish grin adorned his features.

"_Oh Bones, I'm so hungry I think I could eat a whole elephant!_" He said then, taking a large bite on his food, eating with all his might, savouring the rich meat which still steamed from the oven.

Her look was one of disapproval; her eyes were round with disbelief.  
She had never seed him so eager to eat before. Of course he was always hungry but right now, he seemed very... animalistic.

"_Booth! Take it easy, you'll choke on your own food_."

"_Chill out Bones, have a piece of my food. You're always eating that horse's food_ _anyway."_ His mouth opened once again, biting the succulent meat.

"_Wha... hey! This is not horse's food. This is very healthy food, nothing like what you are eating, not even in the same amount..._" Her mouth contorted in a sickening shape.

"_I eat so much because I'm a man in development... I need energy to grow healthy and strong._" He said, mocking her conversation. His smile grew huge after seeing her eyes roll at him. "_Besides... you don't eat enough, Bones._"

"_And you, obviously, eat too much._" Facing him with a stern face. That look on her face said enough of her next movement. He knew her way too well to know what was coming. He dropped his food and braced himself for the ride of his life.

"_Anthropologically speaking, a human male eating large sums of food after a successful task can be compared to ancient tribe rites and the feasts thrown to honour the warriors who had been victorious in the battlefield..._"

He would not let her finish her anthropological rambling, not when he was still hungry as it is.  
Before she could finish, his voice cut her off her tracks, bringing her back to reality.

"_Whoa Bones... not right now, I'm eating, please._" Once again he shoved some fries in is mouth.

She sighed, slightly annoyed with his behaviour, but what could she expect from a man whose brain was currently situated in his abdomen area.

Her head turned slightly in displeasure while her body rested against the chair; no way was she going out without a fight.

Crossing her arms over her chest she finally said, loud enough only for him to hear.  
"_Anyway, eating that much could be considered a sin._"

Mouth agape, eyes open in disbelief, he looked directly at her. She wore that childish grin only made to be displayed in victorious occasions... against him.

"_How can you say that? You're not even catholic!_" Yes, she had to go and jeopardize his beliefs, in that annoying way she always did.

"_No, but you are._" She finally offered sincerely.

"_Since when do you care?_" He too had his arms crossed over his chest, his brow in a frown.

"_Since you started eating all that food. It cannot be good for your health. Perhaps you should take my example. I eat healthy food, also eat moderately, enough nutrients required to sustain my energy levels and keep me going on all day. You need to have temperance, Booth._"

She then laughed heartily, at her own unintended joke. "_Get it? It's my name._"

Infuriating. But God, when he saw her laughing that way, with that smooth melody in her voice, nothing in the world mattered anymore. Just her, and the way her eyes would half close and her hand would graciously rest on her lips, preventing from laughing harder.

And regardless of himself, he laughed too. "_I'm aware of your name._"

His laugh was genuine, and roamed in his chest entwined in the many emotions he was feeling right now.

"_You never eat anything good. Come here, have some of this magnificent pie_."

He took a fork in his hand and smoothly picked a nice piece of the tasteful pie. The fork lifted in her direction guided by his steady hand, his eyes never leaving hers, he wanted to see her reaction.  
And indeed, he saw. The horror in her eyes, seeing the small piece dripping in dark purple sticky cream.

"_You know I don't like pie!_" She said in her defence, but the fork came closer and closer to her lips, until she couldn't resist anymore. The smell of fresh berries entered her nostrils and she was lost.

She had to taste the sugary heaven that he always did. She wanted to know how sweet it felt in his mouth.

Slowly her eyelids closed over her blue eyes at the same time her lips parted, allowing entrance to the offending piece of food.

Her lips held on the fork as the piece of pie entered her mouth. He then took the fork away, watching closely her response, taking pleasure in the sigh before him.

The dark liquid melted slowly in her tongue, it felt bittersweet and smooth against it, only to be matched by the hard but delicious crust. The feeling highlighted her senses, as she chewed slowly, savouring all the sweetness inside.

She opened her eyes slightly, and beneath her eyelashes she threw him an adoring look while the tip of her tongue came out, sensually, to clean the rest of the sauce in her lips.

And as he witnessed that moment, thoughts of passion and a blurry of feelings rushed through his mind, breaking all restrains and unlocking all the barriers that held them apart, and with a thrust forward, he reached for those sugar-filled lips, and kissed her with all his might. He devoured her lips, craving for her tongue, savoring her sugary heaven.

She closed her eyes, letting herself drown in the pleasure, because never before, has a sin tasted this good

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Pie and kisses from Booth are sent to you after reviews!! :)


	2. Sloth

I bet that pie was good, but I have something more for you, a bed!! Would you want to lie down, relax and read the next chapter? Go ahead!  
My very own beta reader says that _this_ Brennan is too much inspired in my sleeping habits and morning moods... I say I'm guilty of that...  
Anyways, thanks for the reviews so far, they inspire me to write new chapters on this story, and believe me, it's now really easy to come up with inspiration for these sins!

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_**Acedia**__** & **__**Industria**_

It was the beginning of a new typical day of work. Everyone was already gathered around tables of paperwork and all sorts of scientific tools and technology. The Jeffersonian was, once again, bursting with real human life.

He walked through the glass doors and into the large room. His paces directed him along the room and into another in the corner, in search of his favorite doctor.

Peeking his head through the slightly open door his eyebrows arched in disbelief seeing her office empty, no one in sight.  
For a moment he looked taken aback. This was quite unusual. She was always the first one to arrive, the last one to depart.

He immediately ran around, searching for her.

In his rampant seek he came crashing into the artist, just the one person who should know where her friend was hiding.

"_Angela, thank God…_" He said panting now "_Have you seen Bones today? She's not in her office… and I don't know where she is!_" Nearly going insane.

"_Oh sweetie, now that you mention it, I haven't seen her all morning. I even thought she was with you… you know…_" She wangled her eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

But that didn't matter for he was already walking away, leaving the artist to her own daydream.

He immediately picked the phone and dialed the first number on speed dial, hers.  
It rang several times with no answer.

The only solution in his hands was return from the way he came, back in his car and drive in the direction of her house. He was now a very frustrated man. His heart pounded heavy in his chest with worry.

In several minutes he arrived at her door, relief hit him once seeing her car parked at the front oh the building, but now another emotion ran by him, despair.

If she was here, something bad must have happened.

His hand brushed the door firmly. Without a response he knocked again, this time more forcefully. Nothing still.  
Grabbing the knob he forced his shoulder against the wood, flying the door open.

"_Damn… my shoulder_." He whispered with gritted teeth, rubbing a hand against his side.

He moved inside the apartment, in the direction of her room. Everything was so quiet, not a single sound in the air.  
Reaching for the door he opened it carefully, looking inside.

The vision before him settled in his chest, warming and calming his worries.

In the bed, among messy white sheets, lay one world renowned bestselling author and forensic anthropologist.  
Her body was spread along the bed, a pillow placed over her head, one long white leg coming out of the mess, tempting his eyes.

"_God Bones, never scare me like that again._" He sighed to himself with relief. She was fine, just sleeping.  
Still sleeping? At 11:30 in the morning? Something was definitely wrong.

He walked closer to the bed and simply let his weight sat near her body.

His hand was placed in her shoulder, warm and shaking slightly, trying to wake the woman. The only answer he received was a simple turning in the bed; her back was now facing him.

"_Come on Bones!_" He shook her shoulder once again.

The pillow came flying by, hitting his face.

"_Go away Booth…_" She groaned with a voice full of sleep. "_I don't want to go to work today._"

"_Wait… what?_" He was stunned at the bluntness of her statement. For sure he was in some alternative universe where she was replaced by some other woman. "_Who are you and what have you done with my Bones?_"

"_I don't…_"

"_Know what that means… I know_" He sighed.

There was silence for a long time, neither wanted to acknowledge the presence or reactions of one another. So he just stood there, facing her back, following her steady breathing.

She had her eyes shut tightly, avoiding the brightness of the light that shone in the room through the open curtains. All that she wanted now was going back to sleep once again.

He sighed after a while, really concerned now. "_Care to explain why?_"

"_I'm so tired Booth. I've been doing this job for a long time._" She allowed herself to open her eyes and stare out of the window, still laid down, never facing him. "_Don't get me wrong, I love it. But lately it's been too much. Everywhere I look there's death, there's insanity, there's broken hearts and irrationality. _

_I just can't take it anymore._" She sighed. "_And part of this is your fault!_" Then turned around, facing him.

Her hair was all over the pillow; her eyes were bright with morning moisture. She never looked more beautiful to him.

"_Me? How come it's my fault?_" Sometimes, even he didn't understand what was going through that brilliant brain of hers.

"_Yes you! Everything was just fine until you came. I was extremely successful at compartmentalizing my emotions. But now…  
__You gave me so much heart…_" It was barely a whisper.

He only smiled to himself. Even she, his Bones, had a real human side like everyone else, and he never doubted that, for as much as she tried to hide it away. She doubts the things she does, and even with all the rational logic, still has space for a moment of uncertainty.

"_You know… my partner often says to me that she is the top in her field. She is the very best, most brilliant, intelligent and succeeded woman I know._" He offered quietly hoping she would consider his words.

"_She loves what she does and has the conscience of how important is her expertise, how necessary to the world. Without her, families would still wonder what happened to their loved ones, people would still lie dead, forgotten somewhere, waiting for their story to be heard. And she listens to them. She cares about them._"

Every word ran in her mind. It was true, all of that. She loved doing it, bringing solace to the families of the ones that were gone and making the world safer, even more doing it alongside him. But still… all the death…

When she didn't answer he sighed deeply in defeat, looking straight in her eyes. He didn't know what to say anymore to restore the hope in this woman who was in so much need of some.

A smile crept in his lips. His hand went to rest and caress the side of her face, his thumb running absently near her lips.

"_You, Temperance Brennan, are being lazy! And that is a sin, a condemned one. You should know, as an anthropologist, that no society evolved with sloth._"

She rolled her eyes fighting back a grin. How infuriating he could be sometimes.

"_Did you know that some civilizations saw apathy towards a situation or an object in pursuit, a productive way to achieve results? Due to the fact that over straining yourself brings no more better results than slowing procedural and reasonable thoughts toward that particular situation, thus you can say, that by being "lazy" I'm just preserving my mental capacities for when they are really needed_" She finished her speech with a victorious full smile lighting her face.

She was back, and he knew it. Looking straight in her eyes his smile faded.

"_They need you, Temperance. There's no one better than you._"

Leaning close to her ear he whispered in secret "_And I need you too…_"

Her brain was a mile per hour once again; a shiver ran down her spine at the soft touch of his voice. She needed to do it. It was imperative.  
She laughed softly at the irrationality of the whole situation.

Throwing the other pillow in his face, she lifted her weight of the bed and slowly walked to the bathroom, ready to start a late day.

Before he could turn away to leave the privacy of her room, her head peeked out the door to face him.

"_You know I don't believe in sins, right?_"

He chuckled softly. Same old Bones.

"_Yes. But you believe in logical anthropologic stuff, so…_"

She smiled brightly, turning around.

"_I got you there Bones…_" He smiled to himself and walked away.

Even she could have a little taste of sloth once in a while.

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Also, if you want to drop hints or say what you would like to see in the next sins, please don't hesitate in say so in your reviews. It would help me a lot!

Now, click in the purple button and come back for more sinful chapters :)


	3. Wrath

Here's the next chapter! You may want to know that I'm really going to do all the 7 sins and that your reviews and suggestions really gave me some inspiration for the next chapters.

For this one... I think its the one I enjoyed the most to write. It's long, but I promise it's very worth in entertainment!!  
Always, thanks for the reviews, they enlighten my days!

**Note**: I'm now a Beta-Reader, if anyone is interested please contact!

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_**Ira**__** & **__**P**__**atientia**_

The sun had already fallen over the window of her office in bright orange colors that fell slightly over the desk, illuminating the papers in which she wrote swiftly with a neat handwriting.

Slow paces could be heard in the marble floor of the lab, walking in her way.

Even though her face didn't turn in the direction of the sound and her hand never stopped moving over the smooth paper, her lips turned upwards into a delighted smile knowing very well to whom that walk belonged.

Suddenly the sounds were no more and when she lifted her head she finally saw him for the first time in that day. Like always, a big smile adorned his strong face, and when a warm feeling spread around her chest she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the undeniable effect he always had in her.

"_Hi stranger_. _Are you going to stay at the door for the rest of the night?_" She said returning her eyes to the paper, finishing it with the long line of her name.

"_No, actually…_ - He said, hands in the pockets of his jeans, entering the room finally – "_I came to ask you something._"

"_And what would that be?_" Putting down the papers and pen in a neat pile in front of her, she reclined in the chair and looked straight in his eyes.

"_Do you want to come to a basketball game? I've got season tickets._" And if it was possible his smile stretched more brightly than ever.

"_I rather not. You know sports don't enthrall me._"

"_Come on Bones, it would be fun. _– He was hoping that she would, at least share some of his excitement about the mundane things in life, like sports. Just for one night, the two of them would relax and enjoy life. - _They'll even let me play if I ask them nicely_"

He laughed shortly and by then he was joking, the only possible way for him to play was to smack his badge in some faces and he would have his way cleared. Deep inside he thought of that possibility, just to see the glint in her eyes whenever he did so, it was unmistakable that she liked when he showed off his power of authority.

"_Now I really don't want to go!" _She said muffling an erupting laughter.

"_Why not?"_

"_Why would I like to see men running like children after a ball and throwing it around, it just does not make sense._ _I have things to do that will, for sure, delight me much more than a game._"

A growl from deep in his chest came out, while pacing around the office.

"_You didn't seem to have trouble going to see Sully play; I even bet that I would do so much better than him_."

He was now officially annoyed, and even though he didn't want to bring such a sensible subject in the first place, it was in those times that she rationalized him into dumbness that he couldn't help but bring out some of his deepest aches.

Never before had he brought that issue to the table, and now that he did, it brought back feelings of loss and regret.

"_I doubt that._" Her face was plain serious, not an inch of amusement in those blue eyes.

"_You do? Is that a conclusion from Dr. Brennan or the 'don't know anything about sports' Brennan?_" The look in his eyes was one of challenge, one that he knew that she would accept with no second thought.

"_So that you know, I do have knowledge about many concepts in sports, and it is a fact that Sully _did_ play better than you_."

She was now standing up facing him with her arms strongly crossed over her chest. The feeling that was now running in her veins was so familiar, it was the very own that boiled in their blood in the wild field of their arguments.

"_How do you know? You never saw me play…_"

"_For an anthropologist like me it was easy to observe that he, indeed, had an innate ability to play rather exceptionally, much because of his muscles definition that gave him an edge in agility and strength in a physical task._"

"_Are we still talking about sports?_"

This was driving him crazy, over the edge insanity was not his strong point to handle, especially with her talking about the achievements of an ex-boyfriend.

"_Yes, why?_"

"_Never mind…_" He sighed deeply, turning away from her once more. His hands gripped his waist tightly, preventing a rising anger in his firsts that shortly would be displayed in the nearby wall if the argument was not bound to end up shortly.

"_Besides… you can't play at all. You have a bad shoulder, you told me so yourself._"

"_I could still kick his ass, any day of the week." _In a whisper, he vented is wounded pride.

"_That, I would like to see._" She wondered to herself, the irrationality of having two definitely strong and healthy men fighting for control, like so many times before in history, like many times in fairytales. In spite of not being a princess in distress, and that logic never left her mind, it would be flattering to see those men fight.

"_You know what we should do? End this conversation so I can leave your office, or else our anger will get us at each other's throats, very soon._"

He then turned to face her and found himself close to her, their bodies barely touching, invading each other's private space and their faces only inches apart.

She was a tall woman, long and elegant upon her legs, someone who could stare directly in his eyes without quivering under his piercing gaze and massive body structure.

"_I'm not angry! You are._" She pointed out, titling her head to the side, angling their noses in a perfect synchrony. They were so close she could feel his raged breath caressing her cheeks.

"_Of course I'm angry; you talk about Sully like he was your personal Adonis._"

And he hates that. Not that his friend could be compared to that standard of beauty but when she talks about him, he feels something boil in his heart, a mixture of emotions between jealousy and fury for he wished to be the one who she talked about with such passion and adoration.

"_You shouldn't be… you'll be punished for that. Wrath is a…_"

"_Sin, I know! But I'm already being punished._" He said looking straight in her eyes.

"_And how are you being punished already?_"

"_Every day we fight about something different, about a case or even coffee and every time you need to have the last word with your accurate words and ramblings that will have me back down, but never you. You can't just accept defeat, can you? And I have to put with all the blabbering and constant childish behavior from your part._"

The second the words crossed his mouth and were absorbed by her eyes he knew he had gone too far. He saw there, in the immensity of her azure orbs a deep hurt.

Among his rapid breathing, his face red in fury and the veins that were slightly pumping in his neck, she could see, in his chocolate brown eyes, the regret and pain he was feeling right now for his careless words.

She took it by heart, although her brain still processed the angered accusations coming from her partner and it hurt more than she could ever imagined coming from him, her heart knew that they were unfounded and forgave him. Not without one last word.

"_Are you calling me a child, Agent Booth? Or should I call you Agent Baby? I'll give you another 5 minutes for you to pout._"

"_Bones, just shut up already_."

"_Sometimes, I hate you._" She didn't know what made her say those words, and evermore if she really felt that, but in the end she still smiled teasingly at him.

"_What did you say?_" His eyes widened.

"_You're everything I ever despised._" And then there was a glimpse of cold in her blue eyes that made his heart sank in sadness.

"_What?_"

"_You are an arrogant, self assured, egocentric alpha male…_"

"_That really hurts coming from you…_"

"_What do you mean by that?_" She was, now, genuinely confused.

"_You're an alpha woman yourself. You're actually quite arrogant and act all high and mighty with your intelligence, and you actually believe that you are better than most people._"

Her mouth was agape from his statement.

"_I actually am. My IQ is beyond average and I have three doctorates to prove that fact._"

"_Well, three doctorates won't get you through real life, you know._" Now he was just twisting the sensitive areas, where he knew he could do as much damage as possible.

That is the danger of being too close to another human being, she knew. They trusted each other so openly, so intensely that they knew exactly where to push and pull to obtain the right emotions.

This time, anger, fury and rage.

They were in the road to hurt one another with serious effects. A good thing was that life thought her how to fight back.

"_You don't have to get angry just because you don't have one. It's perfectly normal for someone like you not to accomplish as much as I had in academic career_."

"_And _what_ do you mean by that?_"

"_We both know what that means, you were _that_ guy._" She had him, right in the center of her hand. Her eyes sparkled in triumph.

"_I might have been that guy but now I'm just a regular person trying to make this world a little better. I've changed Temperance, and you know that._"

He was calm now; the fiery flames of anger were no longer illuminating his eyes and a softness she had never seen before invaded his soul.

"_It's true, you have changed. And even though you have your faults… as I do, you have a heart larger than yourself, you are driven by justice and truth, and you do everything to ensure the happiness of the ones you love even though it might cost your own happiness or even your life. For that, I love you so much more._"

"_What?_" His heart had officially stopped and his eyes widened dramatically.

"_What what?" _Once again, she was confused.

He laughed softly while his hands came up to cuddle her face.

"_Temperance Brennan, I love to hate you!_"

Suddenly his lips were over hers, savoring the emotions running wild, annoyance, confusion and finally acceptance. As his hands traveled down her neck she could feel the softness of his lips worshiping hers with delicacy.

And as fast as it started it was already over, his lips left her mouth slightly parted and with closed eyes.

He turned to leave the office and was by now convinced he would be enjoying the company of loneliness, when he heard her hurried paces behind him.

"_Wait for me!_" – She shouted a few steps behind and saw him throwing a cocky smile over his shoulder – "_I'm going with you._" And she smiled back, shaking her head in defeat.

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Hope you enjoyed this one too.  
Now, click in the purple button to let me know how much and drop more suggestions!


	4. Envy

I really don't know why but these chapters are becoming very long and oh so much fun to write! I'm having such a great time writing the sins, I also hope you're enjoying reading them.

This chapter is dedicated to Leah (CSI-4077) for her suggestion for this sin! Thank you!

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_**I****nvidia**** & H****umanitas**_

The burning lights of the lonesome candles flicked among the darkness of the bathroom where a motionless body sank in the millions of perfumed bubbles in the water. The lights reflected in the eyes of the only person in the room, burning red against sky blue.

She played with a half filled glass of red wine in her right hand, twisting it around liberating the warm scent of berries and grapes.  
Her head rested against the end of the tub, her hair falling in long damp auburn curls over her shoulders.

With a heavy sigh she let her body sank further into the welcoming water, ready to wash away the unpleasant thoughts of a very long day.

Images paraded in her mind, multicolored spectrums of actions and waves of obnoxious feelings clouding her judgments and arising unexpected emotions that never before her rational brain would allow them to surface.

Another sight came while she took a sip of the red liquid in her hands.

"_Why can't I stop thinking about them?_" She asked in defeat, the question echoing in the walls around her.

Earlier that night she had gone out, looking for the partner she hadn't seen all day, and lately hadn't seen very often, for he had his head occupied with other aspects of his private life.

When she arrived at the Diner, she expected to see him in the other side of the window, sitting alone by the table enjoying a slice of pie.  
But this time her vision betrayed her expectations and what she saw from the place she stood in the other side of the street wrapped her heart in sadness.

He was there all right, sitting in the same place as always, but the fact that she was not the person sitting across from him in the table changed her perspectives forever and opened her eyes to reality.

She felt like her place as a friend had been replaced by another person and yet, it was not quite the friendship she was feeling slipping away between her fingers, unable to reach for him again, but something else she didn't understand.

"_I knew he had been dating these days, quite a lot. But actually see it was unbearable._" She confessed to the almost empty glass.

"_And yes, she is tall and blonde, but didn't appear to be intelligent though._"

The feeling she got from the sight she saw in front of her eyes was one of unease. The girl had been laughing openly at probably something he had said, and even though his mouth was turned into a small smile it didn't quite reached his eyes.

"_He always smiles brightly with me… I can always spot that sparkle in his eyes._" She missed it the most. For long weeks she hadn't seen him as happy and careless as before.

A laugh erupted from her.

"_Here I am, drinking wine, feeling sorry for myself for not being blonde while he might be proposing to her._" Even though she didn't believe in marriage and all sort of long term commitments a raising feeling in her heart made her feel miserable for not being the one to whom he questioned.

She blamed it on genetics, for not being born a perfection of nature like the women that seemed to please his eyes, which seemed to turn him on, making his blood heat like no other woman could.

A helpless frustrated sound escaped her lips. She wanted to know, more than anything, why he kept dating different woman every week, all them equally the same, and when she knew his reason why she could finally be able to think clearly again.

Stepping out of the bathtub with a decision in her mind and determination in her steps, she quickly dressed and headed towards his place, in search of the needed answers.

When she arrived at his doorstep it took a while to calm her raging breath letting the confidence that characterized her invade her being.

Her hand rose to knock on the door but stopped suddenly.

"_What if she's there with him?_" She questioned herself low in her voice. - "_What_ _if they are…?_" Her eyes widened in realization. – '_Stop it already, Bones. He's a man, he's allowed to seduce woman into his bed._'  
"_Bones?_" She snorted – "I_'m officially insane, talking alone and calling myself by that infamous nickname._"

"_Bones?_"

Her face rose to meet his presence standing at the now opened door, he wore a cocky grin in his features probably amused by her struggling at this hour at his doorstep.

"_Hello, Booth…_"

"_Come in._"

His face titled in understanding, seeing the unsettled feelings in her eyes and immediately stepped aside allowing the space for her to enter his house.

She walked inside and as she did so, the still wet strands of her curled hair exhaled a soft perfume that brushed his nose, making him close his eyes in delight.

When she was finally standing in the middle of his living room waiting for him to close the door and accompany her to the sofa like he always did, she found herself facing a woman that she didn't knew but could place as the blonde date of her partner.

The woman was exceptionally tall, almost as tall as herself, had shoulder length curled hair and soft blue eyes that stared at her with cold indifference.

He came to stand in between the two women, forming a perfect triangle. His face held not the many wrinkles it had when he smiled brightly and quite on the contrary, his eyes looked sad and tired.

"_Bones, this is…_" He tried to say

"_I know._" She waved her head vehemently. It was obvious, even to her, who that woman was. – "_She's another one of his conquests. It's all right; she seems to have all the requirements to satisfactorily please you in a physical way._"

"_Bones, it's not…_" He tried once again to reason with her but it seemed that she was not in her logical sense, and cut him off abruptly.

"_No, it's ok Booth. You're a grown up man, you can do as you please with your love life. I just wanted to know why you always pick them like this…_" And she pointed at the astonished woman, clearly stating her point.

"_Like what?_" He stared at her with confusion in his eyes.

"_Booth…_" She exhaled tiredly. – "_Beautiful, tall and excessively blonde._"  
'_Completely different than what I am…_' Her mind whispered in silence.

"_Bones, I…_"

"_No, let me finish! Objectively I know what you see that is so attractive in her. In the modern culture we live, a male is exposed to the high standards of beauty that are being portrayed by icons of tall and blonde, and you, like a common man, it's not your fault to succumb to the pointless and shallow fact of being sexually attracted by those icons._"

She paced around, gesturing her words, strongly waving her head during her speech, under the amused eyes of her partner and blonde date.

"_I…_" He voiced again.

"_But you're not a common man, Booth. You're not. And I don't understand why you like them and…"_

"_Temperance!_" He groaned at her, stopping her body and rambling with both his hands on her shoulders.

"_What?_" She snapped at him. At this moment she wanted to go on talking endlessly, rather than to face both of them in this room, and the more she thought about it the more the words crossed her mouth without previous warning.

He looked deeply into her eyes and she saw there the previous amusement entwined with the warming feeling she had been missing. She was now breathing heavily under his gaze and he couldn't stop himself but to laugh quietly at her confused expression.

"_This here is my cousin, Helen._" One of his hands pointed at the girl who was now standing behind him with a genuine smile so much alike of the one of the man who was in front of her. – "_I've been trying to say that since you came in._"

Her face turned an intense crimson when she came to her senses and her reason processed his words. She had been wrong all along, and even made a fool of herself.

"_I… I apologize, I didn't know._" She said to the woman. The embarrassment hit hard at her reason.

"_It's all right, honey. How could you possibly know?_" The woman smiled sympathetically. "_Seeley, it's late, I think I should go now. Goodnight._"

With a light squeeze on his shoulder she walked silently to the door and closed it at her departure, leaving the two partners alone inside.

"_I'm so sorry, Booth._" Her voice was trembling with the rush of adrenaline that was formed early.

And suddenly he was laughing out loud, expanding his chest with breaths he tried to take among the shaking of his body.

"_Bones, were you… jealous?_"

Mouth agape and eyes widening dramatically, she was assaulted by the outrage of his statement.

"_No, I was not. I'm no red eyed monster!_"

"_Green eyed._"

"_Whatever. I'm not!_" And in spite of the early embarrassment, she laughed quietly at her own actions.

He leaned forward in her direction and his lips came in contact with her ear. They played with the flesh there bringing a faint moan out of her lips.

"_I think you were envious of those women I dated before._"

"_How..._" She gulped, caressing his cheek with her own. – "_How do you know?_"

"_Because they were not you."_

"_All right then, what if I was jealous? What are you going to do about it? And them?" _She whispered back in his ear, a sensuous torture on his senses.

"_Nothing. Those women were a delusion to my mind. The one and only I ever wanted was right in front of me. Standing tall in her intelligence, the beautiful curves of her body covered with a lab coat, the blue eyes of her sparkling when they saw me and the most soft auburn curls I ever touched._"

He placed a chaste kiss on the flesh of her neck, which brought shivers up her spine, making her round his neck with her arms, bringing him impossibly close to her heart, erasing the sinful thoughts away.

* * *

  
Envy makes poor Brennan embarassed.  
Reviews make poor me happy!  
So, be kind and review, tell me what you think!


	5. Pride

I'm sorry for the delay in updating these Sins, but it was really hard to work a prideful side of these too. Who would have thought, huh?  
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

* * *

_**Superbia & Humilitas**_

She was not a woman to keep count on time, but now that she found herself under the intense light of the sun in a hot summer morning, her eyes traveled along the long pointers of the small clock in her wrist as her hands worked thoroughly the half decomposed body that lay in the ground in front of her.

Knees buried deep in mud, experienced gloved hands that examined the bones she knew too well, she waited for it to happen.

Moments later, her eyes drifted to the clock once more noticing that five minutes had barely passed since last time and with a heavy sigh she returned to her task.

And then it happened.

She could hear the unhurried steps of a male coming in her direction, and then two suited legs halted their pace just in front of her kneeled body.  
Her eyes traveled the length of the legs and stopped when in contact with a prideful red belt buckle with the inscription '_cocky_'.

She immediately rolled her eyes in annoyance and with a deep sight returned to her task.

"_What do we have here?_" He asked unceremoniously, his hands around his waist, projecting the infamous belt buckle furthermore in her field of vision.

"_Good morning Agent Booth. I'm fine, thank you for asking. How are you this morning?_" She said coldly, never averting her eyes from the victim.

He automatically laughed at her tone. Only she, this doctor in front of him could ruin the greatest morning mood he had woken up in a long time, with simple arrogance and irony.

"_Geez, moody in the morning, Bones?_"

"_Late in the morning, Booth?_" She asked with sarcasm in her voice, and then her eyes locked with his, finding in his face the most overconfident smile she had ever seen in him. One smile that made her head spin in annoyance and her body curl in exasperation. – "_I had to ride here with another agent! Where was my partner?_"

He grinned again, half conscious of the effect his smile always had in her, as much as she tried to deny it. Folding his arms in front of his massive chest he wasn't the one to give in to her authority that easy.

"_Well… I had some business to do._" He responded nonchalantly.

"_Business…_" She only bothered to repeat, while lifting her weight in her own legs and extracting the gloves.

Her eyes, once more, turned to him only to see the same smile adorning his features. She feared that if she stared longer than needed his irritating charm smile would have disastrous consequences in her.  
Throwing a cold glare in his direction she marched ahead of him with sure paces leaving a very speechless agent behind.

A small smile formed in her lips after having a slight glimpse of his dumb folded expression at seeing her walking away proudly with nothing else to say.

"_Hey, don't you have anything to say to me?_" He asked running after her.

"_In fact I do. Bring the remains to the Jeffersonian, I'll handle it there._" She threw back over her shoulder.

He kept running after her, a faint line of sweat running down his temples, but that smile, it never left his lips for as much as he was annoyed at her behavior right now.

"_Not that, Bones!_"

"_Oh, right._" She stopped in her tracks, turning to him so he could see the irritation that ran in her eyes this morning.  
Although her heart beat a little faster when she was torturing him like this, just to see the same annoyance that made his pride crash and burn, her mind was determined to stay fair to the feelings of being forgotten and traded by some unknown business. – "_I'll tell you once we get in the lab, if you behave nicely._"

And despite herself, a small smile formed in the corners of her lips.

"_That's my girl._" He finally said loudly enough for her to hear, throwing his chip coin in the air and catching it with one swift move.

With that she was gone, rolling her eyes once again.

"_Such a prideful, arrogant, maddening, irritating man!_" She muttered under her breath reaching the car faster than him, waiting at the side for him.

When he arrived she noticed that his smile was no longer one that show his white teeth, but one sincere turn of his lips that matched the glint in his eyes.

'_And so wonderful when he smiles…'_ Only a whisper in her mind.

An idea crossed her mind and it was in that time that she tried her own version of a charm smile. She flashed him, from the other side of the black SUV, a wide and bright smile that surely could melt the softest of hearts, and she hoped deep inside that it also could soften his overconfidence and have her way inside his heart.

"_Will you let me drive?_" She asked the nicest way she knew, looking directly into his eyes, pleading for him, biting nervously in her lower lip, waiting for his answer.

He looked at her with a furrowed brow. How could he say no the woman in front of him? When the sun shone in her eyes so brightly, turning them into a clean sky blue, her cheeks flushed, and in her mouth the everlasting question. How could he say no?

"_No!_" He found that it was easy for a man like him, so sure of himself, that no woman with three PhD's would intimidate him. After all, he was a tough agent, a military man.

Her mouth opened astonished and her eyes widened. How dare he say no to her?  
By this time she was already overly frustrated with his smiles and arrogant ways of casting her off.

"_It's only fair, since you left me here, waiting for you, for more than one hour. Now, give me the keys!_" The lovely shade of sun burn in her face was currently being aggravated by the fury running in her veins.

"_Not going to happen, Bones… This is my car, I drive it._" He waved the keys in front of her with small metal noises.

"_Alright then, next time we come in my car._" And in her lips was a victorious smile, all for him to see. She finally entered the car and sat in the passenger side once more.

"_Oh no._" He laughed loudly while entering the car. – "_There's no way I'm getting in your car._" He said turning in the engine and driving the car out of the nowhere, back into the civilization.

"_And why is that?_" Her blue eyes burned angry holes in his face, which was currently more interested in the traffic around.

"_Because it's too small for me_."

She laughed whole heartily, her hand reaching up to clean the humorous tears that formed in the corners of her eyes.

"_Oh I get it… my sports car is too small to accommodate your monumental ego!_"

"_No, not really, it's just too cramped for me there_." – He said sincerely. – "_Plus, now that you mention my ego, I think that you, Mrs.-I-have-three-PhD's-so-I'm-smarter-than-anyone, have a big enough ego to fill your tiny sports car, so there wouldn't be any room for my own."_

"_I may have my ego, but at least I'm not filled with idiotic and childish pride in myself like you are, or should I say "cockiness"?" _She laughed again, shaking her head._ –_ "_I mean, even the word is idiotic!_"

"_Are you telling me that my pride is big?_" He took that moment to fully look to her, she was flushed from laughing too hard at him, and that did not amuse him.

"_No, Agent Booth. I'm telling you that your pride is big enough to blind you and not let you see what you really are!_"

"_Oh really? Then please, Dr. Brennan, do tell me how I really am!_" He said furiously, gripping the steering wheel more forcefully.

"_You are an egotistical selfish man that only cares for his inner self-confidence, that just because you have an anatomical structure that distinguishes you from the typical male, you can just barge in and do as you please, like a typical alpha male…or should I say, a typical Neanderthal …_" After her tirade, she was left there, confined on her side of the car looking at him, trying to regain a steady breathing.

"_Hey,_ _hold your horses, Bones!_" He had already parked the car on the side of the road, hurt enough from her words and with a wounded pride.

"_Hold my horses? Do you realize that I don't know what that means? Or have you forgotten even that?_" She said to him, desperately to get out of the car and as far as she could from the enormous ego that filled her partner with pop culture references and not so funny daily jokes.

"_Enough of that!_" He said leaning towards her, facing her irritated features with the left pieces of his pride. - "_I know you're right in what you say, that I, sometimes, am blinded with my pride when I'm with you, but you know what? If I didn't act like that, you would just push me around with your intelligence, and that makes you just like me. I may have a great amount of self-confidence, but I'm not only prideful….I also have pride!_"

"_I don't understand._" And in her eyes there was a flash of confusion.

"_I have pride in you._" He offered sincerely to her, a simple smile in his eyes.

"_What? Me? Why?_"

One of his hands reached for her face, bringing her closed to him, his fingers entwining with her auburn curls and playing softly with them.

"_Three years ago, you barely acknowledge me; today you're my best friend. In the beginning you barely opened your heart and dealing with other person's emotions was too much for your own heart, today you give yourself willingly to the ones who love you, to me, to your friends, to your family. You've come a long way, I'm really proud of you, Temperance._"

She was astonished. And even before the words sank in her soul she already knew they were true.

"_Thank you for that_." She barely whispered.

A new smile was in his lips, not one of pride now, but one of sincere adoration.

As soon as she saw it, she knew she had lost all the remaining ties with her sanity, and reaching forward her lips crushed easily into his in a passionate battle that was bound to burn brightly, forevermore, in the furnace of their prides.

* * *

Anyone with ideas for Greed? I would love to hear some of those.  
Reviews don't take much time to write and always make a writer happy.


	6. Greed

First of all, **Happy Bones Day** for everyone!! I'm so excited I can't barely hide my anxious feelings.  
So, I went throught a 1 day writer's block and then the inspiration came good and hard for Greed.

This chapter is dedicated to _Unleashed Gummy Sweets_ for the gambling idea and _CSI-4077_ for the Parker idea, everything mixed and here's the story.  
Enjoy!

* * *

_**Avaritia & Liberalitas**_

She walked down the street, her heels making soft noises in the pavement as she walked a much known path.

It was a bright Sunday morning, the spring weather came early this season and instead of taking the car, she stepped outside, enjoying the morning rays of light and the fresh breeze of flowers and fruits in the air.

She turned in the corner and stopped in front of a diner she had became used to, a place where she and her partner came after cases, seeking for closure to an eager stomach, preferably pie and coffee to warm their souls.

Behind a wide window, two familiar smiling faces stared at her, one of a man and the other of a child; their smiles so alike that it warmed her heart.

They waved vigorously to her from inside and in the bright morning light she waved back with a smile that now came easily to her lips. Without a second thought she walked to the door and pushed it opened, the bell ringing in the warm air inside.

"_Bones!_" A young voice erupted from the far corner of the diner, the little boy waved in enthusiasm in his father's lap who was now staring at her with the charm smile that was so characteristic of him.

"_Hi Parker. How have you been?_" She asked the boy while taking a seat in front of the Booth men. Her eyes dropped to the table and the smell of hot and dark coffee steamed from a cup placed in front of her, her own cup of coffee. – "_Thank you, Booth._"

And even when he didn't reply to the complement the glint she saw in his eyes spoke volumes of what he felt.

"_I'm good Dr. Bones. I had an A+ in science last week!_" The boy's eyes widened in pride and a little hint of a superior grin was in the corner of his small lips, immediately matched by the one of his father. Both beamed with pride. – "_It was about the skeletal system._"

"_That's great Parker. You are definitely a very intelligent little boy._" She reached up and ruffled his dark brown curls in a pride that didn't belong to her but she felt it nonetheless, receiving an adoring smile from him. – "_One day you can become a scientist like me._"

"_Really?_" The boy's eyes were bright with excitement.

"_Really. You need to study hard and have good grades, and then you can become an excellent scientist._" She smiled back at the boy, picking up her mug and tasting the hot liquid with her lips. The scent and the taste of it always reminded her of the man that was in front of her with a disgusted frown in his face.

"_Oh no, Bones. My son will not be a squint!_" The man said receiving very astonished looks from his son and partner.

"_And why wouldn't you want your son to become a scientist?_" She questioned, arching her eyebrows in challenge.

"_Yeah daddy, I want to be like Dr. Bones._"

For a while they all stood silent, the wheels in his head turning and turning, trying to find a reasonable answer for the expectant crowd in front of him, why wouldn't he like his own son, flesh of his flesh to become a squint like his own partner?

"_Well… squints are very elitist; they only bother with their own world, with their own brainy friends, and if you were to become one of them, you would forget about your dumb father._" His voice was steady, but there was a hint of fear mixed with sadness behind.

"_Booth! Don't say those things. You're an intelligent man, of course not as intelligent as I am._" She offered sincerely.

"_Thanks a lot, Bones._" Now, his ego laid flat on the floor, hurting from the reality that he would never be like them.

"_I'm sorry… I just wanted to say that you're very intelligent in areas than I am not and vice versa._" She took the cup to her lips once again, letting the dark coffee warm her throat, throwing an apologizing look above the mug.

"_Bones is right, you're smart! And I would never forget you, you're my daddy and I love you._" The little boy hugged his father tightly, wanting desperately to let his progenitor feel all the pride he had in him.

"_All right… you can become a squint, but you better be a good one like Bones._" He laughed genuinely and tickled the boy's sides and the giggles filled their private space.

She laughed too, placing the cup in the table once more, enjoying the feelings that came from the interaction between father and son. They looked so at ease with each other, so full of life and contagious happiness that she couldn't repress the thoughts of family and although she remembered her partner's words from long ago, that there was more than one kind of family, a part of her wanted to be part of this one. Where both called her by a nickname and welcomed her in their hearts like she was indeed part of them.

'_A part of them_.' She thought and it was such a beautiful feeling that the logic in not actually sharing genetic markers with them couldn't compare to what she already gained emotionally with both the little boy, who wanted to pursue a scientific career like her, and his father that had gave her that much heart.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the excited chat of the little boy.

"_Dad, you know, Johnny at school has a new toy car. It's so cool and I really, really wanted one like that._" His deep brown eyes sparkled in delight as she watched the scene amused.

"_But bud, you already have tons of cars, why would you want another one?_"

"_Because that one is cooler than the ones I have. Then I can have one just like Johnny. Please daddy, buy one of those for me, please?_" The boy tried, really hard, to melt his father's heart and to have another toy.

Her partner waited a long time before replying, he looked at the little boy in distress and tried his best not to give in to his little boy's pleas and be an understanding father as well as a good tutor.

"_Parker, you have many toys. Mom and Dad are always offering you a lot of them. You have wonderful cars to play with, and you're just being greedy in wanting to have another one just because your friend had a new one._" In his soothing tone of voice, the father tried to teach a valuable lesson to his son.

"_Booth, you're calling him greedy? He's hardly old enough to understand all the perspectives of what being greedy means_." Her brow furrowed in annoyance at her partner's behavior.

"_I didn't call him greedy as an offence, I'm just saying that he's having a greedy action and that's wrong, it's a sin._" He accentuated the last word in her direction, landing a little bit more across the table, trying to explain his reasoning.

"_Greed is not bad at all. As an anthropologist I understand that greed has been a major motive of evolution in the human species. The human race has all the skills to achieve their main goals of survival, and that would be enough if we wanted to be living in the caves, but by being insatiable, by wanting a lot more than we could have, it brought us to what we are now._"

"_What? Greedy beings that are capable of stepping over their basic beliefs, capable of doing the most insane things just to achieve their goals?_" His voice came low and sharp.

They had leaned towards each other in the table. Both in their sides almost in the edge of the seats, faces flushed with anger and the feeling of excitement, frustration and adrenaline mixing in their veins, accelerating their argument.

"_No. We're superior to that; we can see greed as a tool to accomplish victory._"

"_It's wrong, Bones, so wrong. Greed will only lead to great heights and then make you hit the floor with nothing but shame and loath for oneself._" And in a flash those were the feelings she saw in his eyes as the anger was replaced with guilt.

"_You seem to know a lot about greed, Booth_." She said in a harsh whisper.

He closed his eyes, hurt by her words. Deep inside he knew that she couldn't begin to understand how much of greed he really knew. Taking deep breaths and calming his senses he finally felt all the anger leave his body, replacing it with calm and the urge to make her understand his past.

"_Parker, why won't you get cleaned so we can go?_"

Dark brown and sparkling blue eyes watched the young boy leave his father's lap and head towards the bathroom.

Slowly, he turned towards his partner and she finally saw all the hurt that wrinkled his face, and right then he seemed much older and tired than before.

She bit her lip nervously, realizing that maybe her words had been a little harsh, and once again hurt her partner's feelings. It pained her, to be unable to express her emotions as well as him, and more often than not, hurting the ones she loved by a simple attempt.

"_Temperance…_" Their eyes met across the table. – "_I'm a former gambler. Back in those years I thought greed was the best thing I could feel. I had money, so much of it, but there's no such thing as enough money, I wanted more. To feel the chips and cards underneath my fingers, to smell the scent of cigars, whiskey and victory. I had it all and yet, needed so much more. While I was being greedy I saw everyone around me leaving, my parent's disappointment, and my true friend's unable to help me. And then I fell… from such a great high that the money had taken me, I lost it all. But that didn't matter, because I would go there the next night and try my luck once again. It was an endless wheel, always spinning under the Lady Luck._"

She was silent, listening to every word that hurt him so deeply, and felt her heart ache along side with the one of the man that looked at her with a hint of tears in his eyes. She felt her own moisten with unshed sadness.

"_When it was all over, I finally saw that I had lost much more than money, I had lost my dignity and respect from others. I'm a horrible man because of it._" He shook his head looking down in shame.

She reached her hand and placed it on the side of his face, bringing him up to face her and the beautiful smile she was now wearing, full of pride and resolution.

"_You're not a bad person, Booth. What you've gone through in the past made you what you are today. It made you able to teach a valuable lesson to your son._" Her thumb absently caressed his cheek in a soothing manner and he leaned his head into the warmth of her truth.

"_I've learned a great lesson back in those days. As much as we love something, sometimes we have to let it go._"

His eyes were now looking at her deeply, the truth in his words escaping his lips and hitting her senses with such a force that her hand trembled in his face. He felt that and his hand came up to cover hers.

"_Is that why you told me to go with Sully?_" The question was only a whisper, and in her mind the possible answer he could give made her restless. She wanted to know, more than anything, how much he loved his processions.

"_Yes. Yes, Bones. That's why I told you to go. As much as I wanted you to stay with me I knew that going would make you happier, and your happiness is worth much more than my greed._"

Only an intake of breath, swallowing all her reason, all her logic and she moved forward, her lips delicately placed upon his. There was a moment where everything stopped around them, and the only sounds were their blended breaths. Closing his eyes he let himself go in the almost imperceptible movement of her rosy lips, kissing away his worries, reassuring his wounded heart that she found him worth of her compassion and so much more.

The running steps of a child caught their attention and with wide smiles both grew apart, each savoring the lingering sensations of the other's lips against their own.

"_I'm ready daddy!_" The boy exclaimed.

The partners got up from their seats and made their way around tables, chairs and women with fresh baked apple pies in their hands, and it all seemed so common and familiar to them as she inhaled the morning's air outside, taking an exciting boy by the hand and feeling her partner's palm slice down her shoulders and settle in her lower back.

And without a greedy gamble, he was the luckiest man alive.

* * *

And I have so many ideas for Lust... 'Moni laughs maliciously'  
Feedback my loved reviewers, it will bring lust for everyone.


	7. Lust

Happy Bonesday! Although my bonesday will only be tomorrow. Here I am again to post the most awaited moment of this series of sins, here it is a nice and clean view on Lust. It was really fun to work the sins (even though I'm not religious).  
But don't fear my readers, I'm already cooking a very mature twist for this lusty one shot, I really thought that the partners diserved it, and you also.

Thank you so much for the reviews until now, you all have been very supportive!! Thank you, and don't forget to review in the end.

* * *

_**Luxuria & Castitas**_

The morning rays invaded the window and shone along the dark wood floor and sparkled in the blue eyes of the woman seating quietly in the sofa.  
She was dressed in a Japanese style robe of black silk, her body resting against the back cushions and in her hands she nursed a cup of black coffee.

The strong scent came in waves of steam from inside the cup and surrounded her with memories of her partner. Memories that reminded her of early mornings when he would knock on the door, cup of coffee in one hand and case files in the other, a smile in his lips. It is known that fragrances could be associated to places and people, and for certain this was the scent that reminded her of him.

She woke up with a longing sensation in her chest, and even though her brain could not rationalize it in its fully extent, she found herself knowing that she was missing him, terribly. It was Sunday and he didn't came by in the morning to wake her up, to throw a comment on how bad was her morning mood before a good cup of coffee.

In the bottom of the mug there was her reflection that seemed paler and more weary than usual, and at seven in the morning she couldn't do anything more than curl her long legs underneath her body and sip the bittersweet liquid absently.

A soft knock against the wood door floated in the air inside the silent apartment.

Her legs swung tiredly from the sofa and supported her weight as she made her way to the door, bare feet on the floor and mug in one hand.

Turning the knob without effort the other side revealed a tall man, smiling down at her, and immediately, just like an involuntary reaction, she smiled back.

"_Good morning, Bones_." He said in a cheerful way, receiving a roll from her eyes.

"_Hi Booth, what brings you here? Is there a case?_" She asked in a monotone voice, walking back to the kitchen, trying to hide the flame of excitement that burst in her stomach at the sight of her partner standing tall in front of her, dressed in a standard suit.

He followed her in and suddenly all of his body was aware of her morning attire. Usually when he came by in the morning she was already dressed and perfumed, but right now, the vision in front of his eyes was the one of a woman who had got out of the bed a few minutes before.

Her hair was in a disarray of curls, her face pale with no hint of makeup, but her eyes were as vivid as always and seemed to intensify her natural beauty.

"_No, I just came by to take you out for breakfast. Are you having coffee already?_"

In instinct her hand turned down, sending the black liquid down the drain.

"_Not at all._" She said, turning to him with a quiet smile.

"_Good, I'm really hungry for some pie and coffee._" He said rubbing his hands against his stomach and laughing with enthusiasm.

She missed this, his laughter in her ears, breaking her mind free from the smothering silence in her house.

"_All right, let me get ready. Make yourself comfortable._" Turning away from him, she walked down the corridor of her apartment and disappeared behind the door to the bathroom.

He stood in the middle of her living room looking around and appreciating all the culture. Books of all shapes and sizes adorned the surrounding bookshelves, statues of foreign divinities and other artifacts unknown to him, everything that was her.

'_This is my Bones_.' He thought to himself while walking the corridor where there were pictures of her in faraway digs, under the sun, kneeled in the dirt and in all of them there was the bright smile she only had when doing what she knew best, her job.

His face turned in the direction of the slight open door of the bathroom, from outside he could hear a soft humming in her voice, a song in the morning air.

He leaned closer to the door and looked inside, his eyes widened in fear to be caught invading her privacy and it made his pulse race in his veins but the sight made him rooted to the floor, unable to walk away.

She was slightly bent over the sink, her body closer to the reflection of her face covered with water. Her hand searched for a towel and brought it up to her face, cleaning it in soft rubs. He could see her body moving slightly when her calves brushed one another, a motion that sent shivers down his spine contracting his lungs into a sharp intake of breath. And her bare legs were tall and of a delicate milky white, a color he wanted to taste in his lips, and they ended abruptly in womanly round tights that were barely covered by the silky material of the robe.

A moment later he saw the immensity of bottles and small boxes displayed all over the sink counter, they were of all shapes and colors mingled with other things he never saw before.

She first opened a white bottle and squeezed the content in her hand, the white balm was slowly being spread over her face, she moved her hands around her eyes and nose and he could smell the faint flowery perfume of it that invading his nostrils and awakening primal feelings he kept locked in his mind.

That was the scent that always lingered in the air at her passage, which wrapped around his being whenever he came closer to her face. A scent that assaulted his dreams in the restless nights.

Her hands unlocked a small round container, this one a pale hue of cream. He saw her hands shift skillfully, just like she did with a bone, moving a brush over the powder and spread around her face giving it a healthy shade of pink.

Despite the sad feeling in his heart when he saw her applying the shade over her cheeks, hiding from him the few tiny freckles she had, the sensuality of her actions were burning in his chest, clouding his rational judgment and making him grown inwards, afraid to catch her attention and ruin the most sensual vision he always had of her.

A dark shadow was in her eyes soon to be followed by a hint of black mascara, making her eyelashes seductively long. Once more her hands moved around all the contents displayed in front of her searching for the last fragment of beauty.

She rolled the cherry lipstick up closing her eyes, ready to smooth her lips with the rosy color that captivated his attention. Those lips were now tempting his senses as she moved them apart.

He couldn't take it anymore, the desire in his body was driving him mad and moving his feet forward, and the woman applying the fake composition of beauty didn't seem to recognize his presence, right behind, her in the bathroom.

"_Don't do that!_" He exclaimed under his raged breath, his voice deep and husky.

Her eyes shot open and fell over a pair of brown ones staring back at her in the reflection of the mirror. He stood a few inches behind her and she could feel his chest rise and fall with every breath he took and the comforting heat of his massive structure in her back.

For a moment she studied his face in the mirror, hers covered in shock and some other feeling she couldn't quite place, and her mind screamed with the rupture of her privacy.

"_Booth…_" She whispered tentatively. – "_What are you doing here?_" Her breathing became hard and she was vaguely aware that her hand started to tremble and the lipstick fell down into the sink with a soft noise.

She wanted to run but his dark gaze rooted her to the floor, incapacitating her limbs and sane thoughts. With her eyes she saw a mix of pain and adoration clouding his eyes making her body shiver in fear and pleasure.

"_Don't put makeup._" A single step forward and his chest pressed against her back and his large hands wrapped around her shoulders. – "_You don't need that_."

"_Why do you say that? Don't you think I'm good-looking with it?_" It took all of her inner strength not to collapse on her knees under the soft touch of his hands. She felt his breath caress her neck at each word that came from his lips.

"_No, I do not_." He answered sincerely.

"_Why?_" She was well aware of the fact that her beauty was something she could gamble with to attract many sexual partners over the years, but to acknowledge that this single partner, the one that matters the most, thought that her beauty was irrelevant engulfed her in sadness, she had to defend herself against it. – "_Makeup is a typical way for women to enhance their own natural beauty and to distinguish themselves in social circles. Also it's been a form of female ritual since Neolithic times as a symbol of power and social position, a form of competition against each other. I use it to differentiate myself and to impress the opposite sex, just like you do with your suits and belt buckles._"

His hands turned her in his direction, now having their bodies pressed, chest to chest, their breaths caressed each other's faces soothingly.

She felt him so close; his heart was beating so fast against her bare skin only covered by the silk garment that hardly left anything for his imagination.

"_Makeup if a fake way of producing beauty. It's a foolish attempt to cover oneself in an illusion and appear to the others what you are not. Hiding behind a mask of lipstick and powder doesn't make you what you are. Just like all my fancy way of dressing and showing off doesn't reflect who I am, the one you really know._"

Maybe it was their proximity that made him restrain his words or maybe it was the fact that somewhere in his mind he knew that once he started to un-wrap the chains around his heart he wouldn't be able to contain the veracity of his feelings for her.

"_I don't understand you, Booth. You came here saying that makeup is a frivolous way of objectifying myself and yet here you are, holding me against you, your pupils dilated, breathing hard every time I move, and your heart spilling lust all over us, just by the simple sight of me applying it. What do you really think of me?_" Her blue eyes sparkled with desire for the man in front of her and the challenge in her voice could not be underestimated.

"_Don't you see?_" He spun her around once more, caught in an embrace in his strong arms and facing their tangled reflection in the mirror. "_You look beautiful, Temperance, so beautiful, just the way you are._"

"_You think?" _She smiled deviously at him_. – "I can't really trust your opinion when you are so close to me, but if you leave the room I might consider it… for a while._"

And suddenly it didn't mattered anymore, that by opening his heart he could have it ripen apart by her harsh words. The raw passion engulfed his senses and drove his thoughts.

"_I can't resist you, Temperance._" He breathed hotly in her ear, seeing in their mirror image how her eyes slowly closed in delight. – "_If you only knew what I've gone through ever since we started working together. All the nights that I tossed and turned in bed, hunted by dreams of you, filled with lust, leaving me in shame by the morning light. All the times I wanted to touch you and know you were in someone else's arms. I want you, all of you, just the way you are_."

The man never knew what hit him, in the first place. A rock or a stick maybe, but never expected it to be one forensic anthropologist. And not exactly hit him, but rather pull his body by the lapels of his suit and thrown him against the wall, hard, knocking all of his senses into some kind of mystic trance.

Her lips were over his, devouring them in a sensual motion that drove him breathless, she pressed herself harder and harder against his body and her harms embraced his neck with such a force that pinned him against the cold tiles of the wall.

In the moment that a deep moan erupted from her lips he lost all of his coherent thoughts and embraced her with his strong arms, the force of his might lifting her feet from the ground, in a swift move he carried her to the sink.

Their lips never parted and their lover's embrace only got stronger, urgent, when he sat her in the counter, a shower of flasks and bottles fell to the ground in a rainbow of dust and unguents.

His mouth devoured her as hers did just the same, not wanting to miss on the sweetness he was eagerly offering.

Hands descended in his chest, smoothing the large muscles and frenetically trying to work on his jacket and tie, which still clung to his figure, preventing her greedy explorations to go any further.

Her lips went to his throat and were now leaving angry red marks in his tuned skin only to be soothed with tender kisses all the way up to his ear. And all over again, her lips captured his, pouring in the kiss all her desires, all her lust.

His blood was boiling in his veins in a feverish crescendo, his breathing becoming heavy alongside her assaults, and if he didn't stop, his heart might as well burst from all the desire inside.

"_Bones, hold on a moment, give me time to breathe._" He said between breaths.

Her eyes widened in shock, rejection piercing her heart.

"_What is the matter? I thought this was what you wanted, wasn't it?_" She asked in a fearful whisper, closing the robe a little tight in her front, shame flushing her cheeks.

"_Of course it is._" His hands wrapped around hers trying to convey reassurance in the racing thoughts he knew were now crossing his partner's brain. - "_It's what I wanted for a long time now. But if we're going to do this, we're going to do it properly._"

A sly smile turned the corner of her lips and with fake innocence filling her eyes she wrapped her arms around him and whispered in his ear.

"_How so?_"

"_First you're going to get dressed and we're going to get some breakfast, and then I'll drive you here and we'll see what happens._" He returned the whisper in her ear, feeling the shivers that crossed her skin.

"_What will happen?_" This time there was no innocence in her voice but a weak tease as she bitten adoringly in his earlobe.

"_Bones, haven't you ever heard that good things come to those who wait?_"

"_I don't know what that means._" She frowned, looking intensely into his overwhelming brown eyes.

"_Trust me Bones, you'll soon know._" He held her again, helping her down to her feet again placing a tender kiss in her swollen lips. With a grin in his lips he was out of the bathroom, walking back to the living room to wait for her.

Smiling and turning towards the mirror she finally saw her face. Black mascara ran down her eyes, eye shadow anywhere to be found and the once cherry color on her lips was now stained all over, she looked like a mess.

Taking a white cloth, she moistened it in water bringing it to her face. The soft tissue caressed her skin and cleaned away the useless makeup to reveal a soft white face with some expression wrinkles and faded freckles under her eyes. For the first time she understood his actions, even though her beauty ritual made his pulses race and lose self restrain, it was her true splendor that he cherished.

For the first time, without lust, she felt truly special and beautiful.

_The End_


End file.
